Someone gave me 330 seeds he had collected from Gotesborg, Sweden 5 years ago and has been saving them in his freezer. He asked me to try to germinate them. He had no idea what they were, just that they were growing wild in Sweden and the rose was red. The seeds are small and elongated. I’m thinking they may be some type of rugosa? Anyone have any clue what red roses grow wild in Gotesborg?
None of the roses native to Sweden are red. They vary in color from white to deep pink. R. canina and R. dumalis grow wild around Goteborg. Other species may grow there too. Rugosas are widely grown in Sweden and may have escaped cultivation.
Hmmm, neither of those roses could by any stretch of the imagination be classified as “red,” huh? Dunno what these seeds are, but I guess we’ll see if and when they germinate. I’ll send you a batch of seeds so you can try to germinate them, Jim. Thanks for your help.
There is one recent article in plant science literature that calls R. rugosa an invasive alien species affecting Scandanavia, especially along coast lines.
Well, I just sent Jim some seeds. Maybe he can tell if it looks like Rugosa seeds or something else.